Kitchen Table Tidbits #6

I have no idea why formatting is all screwy, suggestions for a fix welcome.

1. DON'T KISS THAT PIG -- long article but important if you are country folk attending county and state fairs, big deals hereabouts this time of year. "It comes as a surprise to many people that it isn’t just food that can make them sick from pathogens such as E. coli, Salmonella and Cryptosporidium and Campylobacter. They can also become ill through contact with animals carrying the pathogens." Yes, cuddly cute little animals are included. Here is the story.

2. STICKS TO YOUR RIBS -- "meat glue" is a food additive used to combine scraps of meat or seafood and seamlessly put them together so restaurants can sell ‘gourmet’ dishes that really aren’t. Yes, that could refer to your filet mignon. According to Bill and Linda Bonvie, authors of Badditives! The 13 Most Harmful Food Additives in Your Diet – and How to Avoid Them, "Some researchers believe (meat glue) can lead to autoimmune diseases as well as making it more difficult to cook a fake steak thoroughly and kill all the pathogens.” 

3. DEATH BY PAPAYA - One dead, 46 ill. I live in Maryland but haven't seen any reports of this one. I sent a wake up note to the local TV station but doubt they pay any attention. Scary part to me is how long it takes from time of event to time the public is alerted. UPDATE: the illness toll has now tripled and at least three firms selling Mexican produce are involved in the recall. The problem has been found in 19 states so far. Here is a story.

4. HOT COLLECTIBLE COOKBOOK: A first edition of Julia Child's 1995 "Master Chefs" cookbook was on eBay at $140, a signed first edition first printing lists elsewhere for over $500. Also saw a signed first for $120 on eBay but didn't state "first printing." The book is not that old, shows you cookbooks can be valuable. Just saw one on ABE Books for $650. "In Julia's Kitchen with Master Chefs" -- Julia Child invites 26 great cooks from across the country into her own kitchen, cooks with them, and unearths their secrets. And for the home cook she details 150 superb recipes, full of the exciting new flavors of American cooking. Oddly enough, unsigned first editions are cheap, under $10. Regular copies were 25-cents hardcover and a penny paperback on Amazon. Julia Child died in 2004.